via Renamo threatens to set up new military structure – The Zimbabwean 7 April 2015
Mozambique’s main opposition party, the rebel movement Renamo, on Monday threatened to set up a new general staff headquarters for its militia in the Muxungue area, in the central province of Sofala, if its demands are rejected in its long running dialogue with the government.
The head of the government delegation, Agriculture Minister Jose Pacheco, revealed this threat, at a press conference after the 100th round of the dialogue.
“Today we were surprised by the Renamo delegation which, during the dialogue, announced that it would set up a general staff headquarters in Muxungue, if the government does not accept its opinions”, said Pacheco. He noted that this establishment of a new military structure was in line with the increasingly bellicose speeches made by Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama.
Muxungue is a small town on the country’s main north-south highway. Vehicles using the stretch of road between Muxungue and the Save river were the main target for Renamo gunmen in the mini-insurgency waged by Renamo in Sofala in 2013-14.
That insurgency was brought to an end by the agreement on a cessation of hostilities signed on 5 September by Dhlakama and by the then President, Armando Guebuza. The purpose of that agreement was to end the conflict and disarm Renamo – setting up a new military body would be a flagrant violation of the accord.
Pacheco said he did not know if, in order to set up this new general staff headquarters, Renamo intended to pull out from the Mozambican armed forces (FADM) those soldiers and officers who had originally come from Renamo.
The FADM was created in 1994 by volunteers from the disbanded government army, the FAM/FPLM, and from Renamo. It is not known whether former Renamo fighters, who have been in the FADM for 20 years, would be willing to obey a Renamo call.
Pacheco said that, despite the Renamo declaration, the government remains committed to peace. However, “if Renamo puts the physical integrity of Mozambicans and our sovereignty at risk, the defence and security forces will, as in the past, know how to defend themselves. The people, united from the Rovuma to the Maputo (the rivers that form the country’s northern and southern boundaries) will also know how to defend themselves. But defence mechanisms can only be set in motion in situations of attacks”.
Pacheco also said that, just like preceding sessions, the 100th round had been fruitless on the question of separating the state from political parties. Renamo is insisting that this “depoliticisation” of the state must also include a ban on the President of the Republic undertaking party political activities.
“Once again we made it clear that there is an election manifesto from a political party and from its candidate, and that the victorious candidate cannot be prevented from coordinating with his party about how to implement the manifesto”, said Pacheco.
The head of the Renamo delegation, Saimone Macuiana, neither confirmed nor denied Renamo’s intentions to set up a general staff headquarters in Muxungue. “The statements by Minister Pacheco are entirely his own responsibility”, he said.
When reporters insisted on knowing whether the matter had been discussed in the meeting, all Macuiana would say was “if they don’t want us here, we shall be somewhere else”.
Meanwhile, Botswana has reconsidered its decision to pull out of the international team observing the agreement on cessation of hostilities, known by the acronym EMOHCM. Britain, Italy and Portugal also withdrew their officers – no reason was given, but the observers had spent months in enforced idleness, since there was nothing to observe.
EMOHCM should have monitored the integration of members of the Renamo militia into the FADM and the police, or back into civilian life, with the subsequent dismantling of what are politely referred to as the Renamo “residual forces”. None of this could happen, since Renamo simply refused to deliver a list of the men it wished to see recruited into the army and police.
Pacheco said that President Filipe Nyusi has sent letters to the countries who abandoned EMOHCM, asking them to reconsider. He even sent a letter to the United States, which had promised two officers, but never sent them.
Botswana has replied positively, and it has returned to the command of EMOHCM, said Pacheco. “As far as I know the other countries have not yet responded”, he added.
There were originally nine countries invited to take part in EMOHCM – Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Kenya, Italy, Portugal, Britain and the US.
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